Violent Times

J. D. Conley

August 21, 2016

The statement, "we are living in violent times," is so glaringly obvious that it need not be uttered. Yet violent times are as old as man. When man rebelled against God and sinned, (Genesis 3:6), sin entered into the world along with one its vilest offspring, violence. Just a few generations later the Divine Record states, "...the earth was [is] filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11, 13). Mankind had grown so wicked and violent that God determined to destroy the human race, and the earth itself, with a global deluge. Only eight souls were spared along with the animals inside the ark.

As a result of this global destruction, conventional wisdom would suggest that man learned his lesson, and would strive to never return to wicked and violent practices again. Surprisingly, man did not learn. Man soon began to build a tower to heaven, but it wasn't for the glorification of God, but for themselves, (Genesis 11:4). God confused their language so that the building project could not be completed. As time marched on, so did the violence of mankind. The only break in the violence came during the early reign of King David over the nation of Israel, when a brief respite of peace descended upon the land. At the death of his son Solomon, the kingdom divided, eventually Israel was taken into Assyrian captivity due to their idolatry. A little over a century later, Judah was carried away into Babylonian Exile. The four hundred years between the Testaments were anything but non-violent, with Judas "the hammer,” and Alexander the Great imposing their way. By the time the New Testament opens, the Jews are straining to see the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, but when He arrives they reject Him," (John 1:11), and finally execute Him by crucifixion. In A.D. 70, Jerusalem falls at the hand of the Romans, and according to the Lord’s prophecy never a more violent period had afflicted the earth "...not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21). Its not shocking to read these words of John, "...the whole world lieth in wickedness" (1 John 5:19). Nor should it be newsworthy to hear Paul say, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse..." (2Timothy 3:13).

Oh how these words thunder true today! The rise of ISIS, the Black Lives Matter group, the New Black Panthers, Islamic terrorism, the War On Cops, the random shootings, tragically reaffirms we are indeed living in violent times!

What can we do about it? Pray to God and teach others the Gospel of Christ. These two actions are the only ingredients that can be employed to make a violent world more peaceful.